Fiorenzo by Sebastian Nothwell

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Fiore has a plan. Find a wealthy elderly gentleman, delight him until the end of his days, and retire on the resulting inheritance. It’s the best outcome a low-born courtesan in the city of Halcyon can hope for.

And it seems a perfect scheme… until a mysterious masked man upends it.

Banished from university after a disastrous duel, Enzo wanders the city searching for scraps of the affection he’s lost. His public mask conceals private agonies. A single night in the company of a courtesan, however, balms his wounded heart, and he finds himself returning again and again to Fiore, revealing more of himself than he’s ever dared before.

Furthermore, and more astonishing still, Fiore finds he returns Enzo’s affections.

But while Fiore wears no mask, he nonetheless has secrets of his own. And when the ghosts of their pasts return to haunt them, only the bond of trust between them will carry them through.

Rating: B+

Sebastian Nothwell’s Fiorenzo is a standalone tale of love and triumph over adversity set in a world inspired by the Venetian Republic in what feels like the late seventeenth/early eighteenth century. The author calls it a “fantasy of manners” – which brings to mind the comedies of manners of that period, with their secret identities, dastardly plots and dramatic storylines, and Fiorenzo certainly contains all of those. The romance is tender and warm with plenty of steam, the setting is richly imagined, well researched and well thought-out, and the characters are likeable and easy to root for. It’s unlike anything else I’ve read in quite a while, and I really enjoyed it.

Young, savvy and beautiful, twenty-year-old Fiore is a courtesan in the great realm of Halcyon. He plies his trade cheerfully from his accommodation by the shore – below deck on the Kingfisher, a grounded ship that has been converted into a tavern – and when the story begins, is getting ready to entertain whoever is seeking company on the final night of the festival of Saturnalia. Leaning against the rail on the top deck, his eye is drawn to the shadows – shadows which slowly resolve into the outline of a man dressed all in black, wearing the traditional bauta mask, with its distinctive, prominent beak obscuring everything from nose to throat. He can’t see the man’s eyes, but he can feel them on him. Fiore throws him a winning smile and waves in invitation, and is pleased when he sees him making his way towards the gangplank.

Enzo has only recently returned to Halcyon following his forced withdrawal from university, and has spent most of the time since then visiting the different islands and exploring places he hasn’t been to since he was a child. Wending his way alongside the canals on the last night of Saturnalia, he finds himself among the crowd outside the infamous dry-docked ship and looks up to find himself staring at the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. It hadn’t been his intention to hire a courtesan for the evening – it’s not something he’s ever done before – yet the man’s beauty, his sensuality and his confidence were so utterly captivating, that Enzo is already thinking about a second visit.

A couple of weeks later, Fiore is heading off to see his friend Artemisia, a sculptor of some renown for whom he models regularly, when Serafina, the other courtesan who lodges on the Kingfisher, scoffs that he’s unlikely to find himself a wealthy patron in an artisan’s workshop and suggests he should try the theatre district, specifically the Opera, as it’s “filled to bursting with nobles, aristocrats, [and] patricians”. Fiore – who has very good reason for his aversion – is chilled to the bone at the merest suggestion of going anywhere near the Opera, even as he has to admit that Serafina is right, so later that night, he turns his steps towards the theatre district, even though his every instinct is screaming at him to walk in the opposite direction. He has come to a stop at the marble steps leading to the Teatro Novissimo when a deep, soft voice addresses him, a voice he recognises. Fiore turns to see the gentleman in the bauta mask gazing down at him, his warm brown eyes smiling. They spend the evening together, walking, talking, drinking coffee, and ending it in spectacular fashion back in Fiore’s bed. Before Enzo leaves, he asks if they can meet again – perhaps Fiore would show him around the city? Fiore is only too happy to agree.

The romance between Fiore and Enzo develops at a leisurely pace and we watch them fall in love as they spend time together wandering around the city, visiting artists studios, and very slowly sharing something of themselves and their lives with each other. Enzo is smitten with Fiore and makes clear that he would like to be his patron, but Fiore has experienced too many broken promises in his young life to take him seriously. It’s true that his offer had a different ring to it, but it’s no matter, because Fiore already has a plan – to find an older, wealthy gentleman who will predecease him and leave him well provided for so he’ll never have to work again. Enzo clearly has the wealth – but not the years.

There’s a lot going on in this book, but the author doesn’t rush it and allows the story to unfold at a good pace. With Fiore and Enzo obviously deeply in love (well, it’s obvious to us if it isn’t quite to them!) before the halfway point, there’s plenty of time to explore and further develop their relationship as their mutual affection and trust grows deeper. There’s a lot of hurt/comfort, with conflict provided by a mixture of internal and external forces; I don’t want to give anything away, but illness, injury and more have parts to play in the story, as does Fiore’s self-doubt – he doesn’t believe he’s worthy of Enzo and has one foot out the door because he’s waiting for Enzo to realise the same, so focused on not letting Enzo break his heart that he is prepared to break it himself. Enzo senses that something is holding Fiore back, but doesn’t know what it is or how to ask.  He returned to Halcyon under a cloud, following a duel with a fellow student which led to him being banished from university and has been miserable under the restrictions placed upon him by his older sister, the head of his family. He wears the bauta both to conceal his scars and his identity, not wanting to remind people of the shame he has brought upon his family name, and was resigned to a life without affection or compassion. But falling in love with Fiore changes things, bringing love and happiness back into Enzo’s life and giving him something to fight for. He just has to convince Fiore to stay.

I really liked the world the author has created; it’s both familiar and not, and I found the combination of well-researched and realistic historical detail and fantasy elements completely immersive. I appreciated the different attitudes towards religion, sexuality and gender, and that the ruler of Halcyon is a woman (a Prince), and that women can be dukes and viscounts as well as men. The sometimes archaic word choices – such as “dropt” for “dropped” – are perhaps a bit of an affectation, but they work to provide a bit of period flavour, although there are only so many times I can read about “swords” and “silken sheaths” in sex scenes before I start rolling my eyes.

Fiorenzo is quite a long book and things move at a fairly leisurely pace, yet I was never bored. The fabulous period detail permeates the novel in a subtle way that transports the reader into Halcyon’s streets and canals and coffee-houses, and Fiore and Enzo are adorable together. Their romance is well-developed so we get to see how deeply they long for each other (seriously, there’s some top-level pining going on here!), and how they both work to accept and understand and make each other’s lives better. The secondary characters are well-rounded and I liked that the class difference between the leads is addressed appropriately and not just brushed under the carpet. The eventual HEA is very well-deserved – and that last line is perfect. Recommended to anyone looking for a well-written historical romance with something different to offer.

Note: This book contains references to sexual assault and some violence and gore. A full list of TWs can be found using Amazon’s Look Inside feature.

This review originally appeared at All About Romance.

The Shadows of London (Marwood & Lovett #6) by Andrew Taylor

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London 1671

The damage caused by the Great Fire still overshadows the capital. When a man’s brutally disfigured body is discovered in the ruins of an ancient almshouse, architect Cat Hakesby is ordered to stop restoration work. It is obvious he has been murdered, and Whitehall secretary James Marwood is ordered to investigate.

It’s possible the victim could be one of two local men who have vanished – the first, a feckless French tutor connected to the almshouse’s owner;
the second, a possibly treacherous employee of the Council of Foreign Plantations.

The pressure on Marwood mounts as Charles II’s most influential courtiers, Lord Arlington and the Duke of Buckingham, show an interest in his activities – and Marwood soon begins to suspect the murder trail may lead right to the heart of government.

Meanwhile, a young, impoverished Frenchwoman has caught the eye of the king, a quiet affair that will have monumental consequences…

Rating: B+

The Shadows of London, book six in Andrew Taylor’s fabulous series of historical mysteries set in post-Restoration London, finds our protagonists, James Marwood and Cat Hakesby (née Lovett) once again embroiled in an intricate and cleverly constructed murder mystery. Like the earlier books in the series the mystery in this one stands alone, but I’d recommend reading them in order so as to gain a fuller understanding of the relationship between the two principals.

It’s been five years since the Great Fire that destroyed so much of London, and since the night Marwood and Cat first met. Reconstruction of the City continues, and Cat, who took over the running of her husband’s architectural firm after his death, has been awarded the contract to build a new almshouse and some new brick houses in Chard Lane, on the site of the ancient almshouse destroyed in the fire. But when a the body of a man is discovered partly buried beneath piles of rubble and old bricks, his face beaten so badly as to be unrecognisable, the work has to be halted. Frustrated at at the delay, which could mean severe financial loss, Cat reluctantly asks James Marwood if he can do anything to help.

Marwood is in the employ of Lord Arlington who, as Keeper of the Privy Purse, is the second most powerful man in England, answerable only to the King. Marwood, who is part clerk, part spy, has frequently been directed by Arlington to conduct murder investigations, and when ‘My Lord’ hears about the body in Chard Lane, he tells Marwood to find out everything he can about the murder – although he isn’t, at this stage, willing to intervene on Cat’s behalf.

The first thing to do is to identify the victim, and Cat and Marwood soon work out that there are two likely candidates. One is the young man who had been employed as French tutor to the daughter of Mr. Hadgraft – who is currently Cat’s employer as commissioner of the Chard Lane project – the other is a man named Iredale, who is employed as a clerk at the Council of Foreign Plantations. Both are nonentities, making the motivation for murder unclear, but when Cat and Marwood learn of the involvement of one of the Duke of Buckingham’s henchmen – a dangerous, violent man with whom they’ve had dealings before – they realise that there is much more at stake than it initially seemed. For Buckingham, who hates Marwood and takes every opportunity to denigrate him, to be taking an interest in the murder of a nobody is strange, to say the least, and as Cat and Marwood dig deeper, it becomes clear that whoever the victim was, this murder is somehow linked to those at the very heart of power at the English court.

As with the other books in the series, Andrew Taylor does an absoutely superb job of weaving together fact and fiction, skilfully incorporating a number of actual historical figures and events into his original story. Here, he adds a third narrator to the mix; in addition to Cat and Marwood, we also hear from a young Frenchwoman named Louise de Kéroualle, who has been brought to England by the French Ambassador, with the specific intention of making her the mistress of King Charles II. Louise is widely regarded these days as a gold-digger, but as the author points out in his note at the end, while that may have been the case, that doesn’t preclude her having been a victim; she was young and vulnerable and basically manouevered into her ‘position’ by the French, who want her to act as their spy, “a pliant girl who will do what they tell her in the interestes of France. Someone to whisper in his [Charles’] ear whatever they want to say”.

The mystery is full of unexpected twists and turns – especially the big reveal – and the author paints a vivid picture of the sights and sounds of Restoration London, seamlessly integrating observations about the way the society of the time functioned and how precarious life was for pretty much anyone not born to privilege. Marwood has, for some time, been in the employ of Lord Arlington and his star has risen accordingly, to the extent that he’s become a respected figure, but the corruption at the highest levels has never sat all that well with him, and in this book he begins to realise the truth of the old adage about touching pitch and being deflied. Even Cat – who is hardly soft or unsceptical – sees how Marwood has become harder and more cynical, and doesn’t like it. Both of them have come a long way since we first met them, and their relationship has been always fraught with tension. Cat is tough and clear-sighted, she isn’t always kind and has certainly not always been so towards Marwood, although over the last couple of books, she’s realised that she’s come to depend on him far more than she realised – or intended, and that their lives are inextricably intertwined. That Marwood has had something of a crush on Cat has been obvious for a while, but only recently has Cat begun to feel the same – or been prepared to admit it to herself – and there are clearly big changes ahead for both of them.

The one criticism of the book isn’t to do with the story but with the way it’s laid out; in the copy I had – which was an ARC, so things may have been changed – the scene breaks are not marked, so I would be reading in Cat’s PoV, turn the page and then be in Louise’s PoV or Marwood’s (Marwood is written in first person, the others in third), and I’d sometimes have to go back to work out whose head I was in. I don’t recall that being an issue with the other books in the series.

But don’t let that minor issue put you off. Marwood and Lovett is one of my favourite historical mystery series, and The Shadows of London is another enthralling instalment. The historical background has obviously been extensively researched and permeates the stories in a way that is far more than simple ‘window dressing’, the characters are extremely well-rounded and the political intrigue is fascinating. I’m not sure whether there will be a book seven given the way this one ends, but I’ll certainly be picking it up if there is.

Home to Texas (Brides of Rough Creek Texas #2) by Kaki Warner

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Lieutenant KD Whitcomb had mapped out her career from West Point to the Pentagon. But when an injury under questionable circumstances forces her to leave the army, her dreams fall dead at her feet. Feeling lost and needing to rediscover the tough woman beneath the uniform, she heads back to the family ranch in Rough Creek. Only two things get her through the nightmares and sleepless nights: the support of her family and the CID officer investigating the incident in Afghanistan. He infuriates her. Makes her laugh. Gives her hope.

Richard Murdock is struggling, too. There’s something fishy about this last case…and the threats coming from Afghanistan aimed at both him and KD. He’s ready to leave the army and make a new start. But how will he protect KD? And what should he do about the growing attraction between them? He’s been burned before. But there’s something about KD’s vulnerability and strength that calls to him, and he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her and give her a chance to build new dreams…including helping her start a PTSD equine therapy program at the Texas ranch.

If they can overcome the threats against them and heal old wounds, this second chance might be better than they ever dreamed.

Rating: B

Home to Texas was my first experience with Kaki Warner, and although it’s is book two in a series (Brides of Rough Creek, Texas), it works perfectly fine as a standalone.  There are other characters in the story who have clearly appeared in other books by this author, but they’re very much secondary to the main plotline, so I didn’t feel as though I’d missed out on anything that had gone before.  I’m not a great reader of m/f contemporary romance, but the synopsis of this one appealed to me, and I enjoyed the book a lot; the characters are appealing, the settings are well described and the humour and banter between the two leads feels very natural and unforced (which isn’t always the case!)  It’s a solid romance as well; two people who meet under very inauspicious circumstances are drawn to each other, and together, find purpose and a fresh start on a sprawling Texas ranch.

When the book begins, Lieutenant KD Whitcomb is just coming to in a hospital bed, groggy, sometimes in pain, sometimes nauseous, but somehow comforted by the steady beeps of the machines surrounding her.  She knows she’s in hospital but doesn’t know how long she’s been there, and the memories as to how she got there are disturbing to say the least.  Unusually however, there is someone at her side when she wakes this time, a tall, dark-haired man with tired blue eyes she doesn’t know but is sure has been there before.  He tells her he’s a Warrant Officer from the army criminal investigations division (CID) and that he’s there to ask her a few questions about the incident that landed her in a hospital bed if she’s up to answering them.  But she isn’t and he is asked to return another day – and KD knows she’ll have to be ready with her answers then.

The story then skips back a few days to when KD and her superior officer, Captain Natalea Mouton were approached by Samira, one of their Afghani interpreters, to ask them if they could help a local woman retrieve her eight-year-old son from Asaf Farid, the captain of the local unit of the Afghan National Police, who has taken the boy from her intending to use him for sex.  Nataleah points out that the army has a policy of non-interference when it comes to cultural issues (no matter how abhorrent they are), but agrees to go to speak with Farid to see if he will return the boy.  When they arrive at Farid’s concrete hut, Nataleah sends KD into the back room to look for the boy while she speaks with Farid – and then all hell breaks loose.  While trying to help the bruised, battered and terrified boy out of the window, KD hears gunshots – and is then confronted by Farid, who shoots her in the leg and is advancing on her to finish her off.  Before he can do so, she shoots back – then blacks out.

The first part of the story is tense and exciting as Warrant Officer Richard Murdock, who has been assigned to investigate the killings of Mouton and Farid, realises that the army is looking to avoid the scandal of two of its officers being shot by someone trained and weaponised by the US military by using KD as a scapegoat, casting doubt on the legality of her actions and basically hanging her out to dry. But no way is Richard going along with that; even though his own career is on the line if he doesn’t reach the conclusion he’s been instructed to reach, he’s determined to find a way to present the facts of the case without ending both their military careers.

Once she’s back Stateside, Richard offers to help KD prepare for the hearing she’s been summoned to, and to find her a good JAG lawyer, and as they spend a few days together, the attraction they’d both felt as KD started to recover develops into something deeper and full of mutual understanding and respect.  I really liked the way their romance progresses, both of them being wary of jumping into something new at a time of such uncertainty, but also unable to deny their growing feelings for one another.

It’s not a spoiler (it’s in the blurb) to say that they both end up leaving the army, and then the action moves to the Whitcomb family cattle ranch in Texas, KD having invited Richard to visit while he gives some thought to what he’s going to do next.  Their relationship develops at a believable pace and I appreciated the lack of misunderstandings and miscommunication to create drama and tension; there’s enough of that in the plotline concerning the threats made against KD and Richard by the drug-lord and Taliban sympathiser Khalil Farid, who has vowed revenge for the death of his son.

I enjoyed the book and the romance is undoubtedly well done – KD and Richard are well-matched, they communicate well and are wonderfully supportive of each other – but the pacing flags in places (mostly the second half/around the middle), and the climax to the plot falls rather flat when, despite all the detailed planning as to how to handle Farid and his men, the author pulls one of the oldest tricks in the book which made it all look completely pointless.  After the skilful way Kaki Warner explores KD’s (and Richard’s) treatment by the military, KD’s complicated relationship with her family, and the equally accomplished way she develops the romance, that felt really clunky and amateurish by comparison.

The characterisation is excellent across the board; the secondary characters are well-rounded and the familial relationships and family dynamics are very well written.  KD and Richard are likeable and easy to root for, both wounded in different ways – she from her physical injuries and subsequent anxiety issues, he as the result of a family tragedy and an early marriage that went badly wrong – and both have some healing to do as they move into the next stage of their lives.

Home to Texas is an enjoyable combination of contemporary romance and suspense, and although there are places in the second part of the story where things slowed down a bit too much, the book held my interest and kept me turning the pages.  Richard and KD have terrific chemistry and the depth of the emotions that lie between them are palpable whenever they’re on the page together.  Despite the pacing issues I’ve mentioned, I’m happy to recommend Home to Texas, especially if you’re looking for a contemporary romance with a slightly different spin to it.

The Royal Secret (Marwood and Lovett #5) by Andrew Taylor

Two young girls plot a murder by witchcraft. Soon afterwards a government clerk dies painfully in mysterious circumstances. His colleague James Marwood is asked to investigate – but the task brings unexpected dangers.

Meanwhile, architect Cat Hakesby is working for a merchant who lives on Slaughter Street, where the air smells of blood and a captive Barbary lion prowls the stables. Then a prestigious new commission arrives. Cat must design a Poultry House for the woman that the King loves most in all the world.

Unbeknownst to all, at the heart of this lies a royal secret so explosive that it could not only rip apart England but change the entire face of Europe…

Rating: B+

The events of The Royal Secret – book five in Andrew Taylor’s series of mysteries set in seventeenth century London during the reign of Charles II – take place around four years after the Great Fire and our first meeting with James Marwood and Catherine – Cat – Lovett.  Theirs is an unusual relationship; they’ve saved each other’s lives and reputations more than once, and both have good reason to be distrustful of others, yet they’ve formed a somewhat uneasy but genuine bond of something stronger than friendship, but which doesn’t always contain any of the warmer feelings friendship might provide.  There’s a strong undercurrent of attraction there, too, something neither of them is particularly willing to acknowledge, especially Cat, whose traumatic personal history and unhappy marriage to a much older man, mean she is more determined than ever to never again give up her independence.

Cat has taken over the running of the business left by her late husband – a draftsman and architect – while Marwood continues to do well in his post as secretary to (and sometimes spy/investigator for) Joseph Williamson, Under Secretary of State to Lord Arlington.  They’ve started to see each other every couple of weeks – to take walks, to dine, to visit the theatre – and it’s during one of the latter excursions (after Cat gets annoyed when she sees Marwood looking appreciatively at a comely orange-seller) that they chance to meet Mr. Fanshawe, a  merchant and a client of Cat’s, and his companion, Henryk Van Riebeek  (to whom Marwood takes an instant dislike because he starts flirting with Cat.) 

Marwood encounters Fanshawe again few days later, when he is instructed to retrieve some confidential files that were removed from Lord Arlington’s office by one of his clerks, Richard Abbott.  Abbott has died suddenly and had not returned the files beforehand, and when a visit to Abbot’s lodgings proves fruitless – all Marwood and his servant find there are dead rats – he learns that Abbott’s wife – who was formerly married to Fanshawe’s son – and stepdaughter have gone to live with Fanshawe at his home in Slaughter Street.  Marwood pays Fanshawe a visit in order to retrieve the files, and when looking them over later that day, uncovers some discrepancies which only intensity his suspicions as to the nature of Abbott’s death.  He discovers that Abbott had run up huge gambling debts at the Blue Bush – and while there to see what he can find out, Marwood catches sight of a familiar face – Van Riebeek – although he’s going by a different name.  This fact, in addition to the dutchman’s familial connection to Abbott (Abbott’s wife is Van Riebeek’s sister) convinces Marwood that he is involved in some way – and also that there is more going on than meets the eye; that what he found in the files, Abbott’s murder and Van Riebeek’s hiding under an assumed name are all related somehow, and that whatever links them is far more serious than he’d at first thought.

Meanwhile, Cat has been commissioned by Lord Arlington to design a poultry house for the king’s sister Minette (who is married to the Duc d’Orléans, brother of Louis XIV), and is asked to travel to France with the plans and to have a scale model built to take with her as well.  Once arrived in France however, she can’t help wondering if there is some other reason for her presence there – and whether the interest Van Riebeek had shown in her before her departure, had been genuine.

As is the case with the other books in the series, the mystery in this one incorporates actual historical events and takes place (mostly) in a London still being rebuilt after the Great Fire. Mr. Taylor skilfully weaves together fact and fiction wherin uncertain political alliances, treachery and intrigue all come into play as Cat inadvertently becomes caught up in the very mystery Marwood is investigating. Although I wasn’t sure what that mystery was going to be to start with – with mentions of poison, witchcraft, a caged lion and disgruntled servants, there’s a lot going on! – I was nonetheless caught up in the world of Restoration London the author evokes so well.

Cat and Marwood are complex, flawed, three-dimensional individuals and their relationship – which veers from dislike to affection and back again – is frustrating and well written.  I appreciate Cat’s determination to make her way in an unusual (for a woman) profession in a man’s world, and how much Marwood has grown – is continuing to grow – as a character.  He’s perhaps more cynical than he was, and he’s learned how to play the game with those who are more powerful than he is, but at heart, he’s a good, decent man while very much a man of his time. 

Excellent research, clever plotting and fascinating historical detail combine to make The Royal Secret another excellent instalment in the Marwood and Lovett series.  I really hope there’s more to come

The Last Protector (Marwood and Lovett #4) by Andrew Taylor

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A dangerous secret lies beneath Whitehall Palace…

Brother against brother. Father against son. Friends turned into enemies. No one in England wants a return to the bloody days of the Civil War. But Oliver Cromwell’s son, Richard, has abandoned his exile and slipped back into England. The consequences could be catastrophic.

James Marwood, a traitor’s son turned government agent, is tasked with uncovering Cromwell’s motives. But his assignment is complicated by his friend – the regicide’s daughter, Cat Lovett – who knew the Cromwells as a child, and who now seems to be hiding a secret of her own about the family.

Both Marwood and Cat know they are putting themselves in great danger. And when they find themselves on a top secret mission in the Palace of Whitehall, they realize they are risking their lives…and could even be sent to the block for treason.

Rating: B

The Last Protector is the fourth book in Andrew Taylor’s series of historical mysteries featuring James Marwood and Cat Lovett.  The majority of the historical mysteries I read (and that are published) are set in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, so I really like the fact that this series is set in a period that is not so familiar. The mystery part of the story works as a standalone, although I’d recommend reading at least one or two of the other books in the series in order to get a better sense of the Marwood/Lovett dynamic.

As in the previous three books, the story comprises a clever mystery that evolves slowly as the author gradually pulls together his different story threads and combines it with a wealth of interesting historical detail skilfully woven into the background.  This story begins around four months after the events of book three The King’s Evil, and we find Cat Lovett now married to the elderly architect Simon Hakesby (and finding her marriage is not bringing her the security and stability she had expected), while James Marwood continues to prosper in his post as secretary to (and sometimes spy for) Joseph Williamson, Under Secretary of State to Lord Arlington.

It’s 1668, and Charles II’s extravagance and licentious behaviour have made him deeply unpopular, with many starting to hanker after the ‘more Godly’ days of the Protectorate.  Nobody wants to return to the bloody days of civil war, but there are those close to the throne who would seek even greater power than they already have and threaten the already unstable position of the King and the monarchy in general.

When The Last Protector opens, Marwood is sent to observe a duel between the Duke of Buckingham – a favourite of the King – and Lord Shrewsbury, which ends with one man killed and Shrewsbury badly injured.  Williamson needs a first-hand account of the proceedings;  Buckingham is becoming increasingly powerful, which makes him a potential danger to the throne and the country – and Williamson and his master need a way to keep him in line.

Cat Hakesby is walking home through the streets of the Citywhen she is hailed by a woman she doesn’t immediately recognise.  The woman is close to her own age and well dressed – and then Cat recalls her identity; she is Elizabeth Cromwell, granddaughter of Oliver, and she treats Cat like a long-lost bosom friend, talking eagerly and wistfully about the days they played together as children.  Cat, however, has a completely different recollection and can’t help but be rather suspicious – and her suspicions are borne out when Elizabeth invites Cat and Hakesby to dinner, and then starts asking about the plans for the old Cockpit building in the grounds of the palace of Whitehall.  Cat immediately realises that this is the real reason for Elizabeth’s chumminess – and also that the elderly gentleman she introduces as a family friend is in fact, her father Richard the titular Last Protector (he became Lord Protector of England after the death of his father, Oliver Cromwell, but his ‘rule’ lasted for only nine months) who has been living abroad in exile.  If recognised he could be arrested, but he has come to England after receiving a letter written by his mother on her deathbed, which indicates that she left something – he hopes something valuable – within the old Cockpit building, and he wants to find it and use it to pay off his debts.

Cat wants to distance herself from the Cromwells immediately – merely associating with them could bring accusations of treason – but Hakesby, never a supporter of the King, is overjoyed at the thought of being of help to such a ‘great man’.  Cat is nervous about the whole thing, and even though they haven’t seen each other for months, wants to talk to Marwood about it and ask for his advice. But her husband scrutinises all her movements and she cannot seek him out.

From these two disparate events – a duel and a not-so-chance meeting – Andrew Taylor weaves together a well-paced story of intrigue and escalating danger.  When Buckingham learns of Richard’s presence in England and of Elizabeth’s friendship with Cat – whose father was one of those who signed Charles I’s death warrant – Cat finds herself at the centre of a dangerous conspiracy while Marwood has also run into problems which lead directly back to Buckingham and a plot to destabilise the monarchy.

As has happened in the previous books, Cat and Marwood find themselves embroiled in the same situation albeit in different ways and from different angles, but in this book, they interact rarely, unable to communicate openly because they are being watched by Buckingham’s men – and I confess I did miss their conversations and discussions.  Theirs is an odd relationship; they’re not exactly friends but the things they’ve been through together have engendered a deep trust between them, and they seem able to understand and intuit certain things about each other that others do not. They’re very different personalities – Cat is sharp and prickly where Marwood is quieter and sometimes rather hapless, although he’s definitely growing as a character, becoming more courageous and confident in his own abilities and accomplishing some very skilful political manouevring at the end.

As always, the author makes excellent use of his historical backdrop and does a wonderful job of bringing Restoration London to life. The Last Protector is a well-crafted, well-researched novel that weaves together fact and fiction to form an intriguing and engrossing story, and I have no hesitation in recommending it to historical mystery aficionados – especially those looking for something set outside the Georgian/Victorian eras.

The King’s Evil (Marwood & Lovett #3) by Andrew Taylor

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A royal scandal that could change the face of England forever…

London 1667. In the Court of Charles II, it’s a dangerous time to be alive – a wrong move may lead to disgrace, exile or death. The discovery of a body at Clarendon House, the palatial home of one of the highest courtiers in the land, could therefore have catastrophic consequences.

James Marwood, a traitor’s son, is ordered to cover up the murder. But the dead man is Edward Alderley, the cousin of one of Marwood’s acquaintances. Cat Lovett had every reason to want her cousin dead. Since his murder, she has vanished, and all the evidence points to her as the killer.

Marwood is determined to clear Cat’s name and discover who really killed Alderley. But time is running out for everyone. If he makes a mistake, it could threaten not only the government but the King himself…

Rating: B+

The King’s Evil is the third book in Andrew Taylor’s series of historical mysteries set in and around Restoration London in the year or so following the Great Fire of 1666.  As was the case with the previous two books – The Ashes of London and The Fire Court  – this latest release in the Marwood and Lovett series is a detailed and intricately plotted historical mystery in which the author vividly evokes the sights, sounds and smells (!) of post-Fire London, putting the reader firmly amid the filthy, crowded streets occupied by the ordinary folk trying to eke out an existence and clearly setting out the political posturing and jostling for position rife throughout Charles II’s court.  I was pulled into the story right away and was fully engrossed, eagerly turning the pages right until the end.

It’s been over a year since London burned, and James Marwood has come a long way from the humble clerk he was when we first met him.  He’s prospering in the employ of two masters, one of whom, Mr. Chiffinch, is Keeper of the King’s Private Closet and Page of the Backstairs, one of the most powerful men at court because he controls private access to the king.  Chiffinch directs Marwood to investigate a murder which occurred at the London home of the former Lord Chancellor, Lord Clarendon, who has recently fallen from favour, but who nonetheless retains some influence at court owing to the fact that one of his daughters is married to the king’s brother, James, Duke of York.

When the book opens, Marwood is attending a ceremony at Whitehall wherein the king lays hands on those suffering from the King’s Evil, or scrofula, (a disease we now call tuberculosis); it was believed that the monarch’s touch could heal the disease.  Marwood has been directed there in order to meet with Lady Quincy (formerly Mistress Alderley and Cat Lovett’s aunt) and to do as she directs; during their conversation she tells him that her stepson, Edward Alderley, has discovered Cat’s whereabouts and is intent on taking his revenge upon her for the wound she inflicted on him when she attacked him before fleeing the family home.  Marwood and Cat met on the night of the fire and have formed an odd friendship (of sorts); they’ve saved each other’s lives and have worked together on a couple of investigations, but she has never revealed the reason she left her home.  When Marwood tells her about Alderley and urges her to leave London for a while, she finally tells him the truth – her cousin raped her and she went for him with a knife (and he lost an eye as a result) – and Marwood is sickened by her tale.  Cat, who is a talented draughtsman but is precluded from following that profession because of her sex, is pursuing it in secret while also hiding behind the identity of Jane Hakesby, cousin and maidservant to the architect Simon Hakesby, a much older and feeble man whose offer of marriage Cat has accepted, seeing it as a way of achieving safety and financial security.

She’s a prickly young woman – intelligent, fiercely independent and unwilling to show weakness – and at first she is at first adamant that she won’t leave London.  And by the time, a few days later, Marwood discovers she has left after all, the situation has become a lot worse, because Alderley’s is the body found at Clarendon House – drowned in a well – and Hakesby was one of the architects supervising the building work currently underway in the grounds.  It doesn’t take long for suspicion to fall upon Cat – but Marwood can’t believe she’s guilty of murder, and chooses to keep his connection with her to himself while he tries to find out who killed her cousin, even though he knows that trying to keep Cat safe and proving her innocence may well prove dangerous for him.

Cat’s involvement in this novel is somewhat smaller than in the earlier books, but her presence is strongly felt throughout as Marwood struggles with divided loyalties and to see clearly through the web of lies and manipulation that are being woven around him.  He faces some of his toughest challenges yet as he is subjected to the manipulations and orders of those in positions of power and has to use all his wit and skill to carefully pick his way through the political minefield facing him, while somehow retaining the compassion and personal integrity that marks him out as different from so many of those around him.  Part of that minefield is the complication added by his infatuation with the calculating but lovely Lady Quincy, especially when Marwood pieces all the clues together – which point towards the existence of a treasonous conspiracy.

Although the third in a series, the novel can be read as a standalone; I’d suggest, however, that readers will better understand the complicated relationship between Marwood and Cat by reading the first two books as well (and they’re both excellent, so that’s definitely recommended).

The King’s Evil is a fast paced, densely plotted and full of fascinating historical detail that brings Restoration London vividly to life in all its splendid, ugly glory.  It’s a terrific read, and one I found hard to put down; fans of historical mysteries won’t want to miss it, and I’m eagerly awaiting Marwood and  Lovett’s next investigation!

The Fire Court (Marwood and Lovett #2) by Andrew Taylor

This title may be purchased from Amazon

Somewhere in the soot-stained ruins of Restoration London, a killer has gone to ground…

The Great Fire has ravaged London, wreaking destruction and devastation wherever its flames spread. Now, guided by the incorruptible Fire Court, the city is slowly rebuilding, but times are volatile and danger is only ever a heartbeat away.

James Marwood, son of a traitor, is thrust into this treacherous environment when his ailing father claims to have stumbled upon a murdered woman in the very place where the Fire Court sits. Then his father is run down and killed. Accident? Or another murder…?

Determined to uncover the truth, Marwood turns to the one person he can trust – Cat Lovett, the daughter of a despised regicide. Marwood has helped her in the past. Now it’s her turn to help him. But then comes a third death… and Marwood and Cat are forced to confront a vicious and increasingly desperate killer whose actions threaten the future of the city itself.

Rating: B+

The Fire Court is the sequel to Andrew Taylor’s The Ashes of London, an historical mystery that opened dramatically during the Great Fire of London and then proceeded to unravel a tale of murder and betrayal stretching back decades, to the reign of Cromwell and Charles I.  This novel reunites the protagonists of the earlier book – James Marwood and Cat Lovett – as they become entangled in the complicated business of the Fire Court, a body set up to oversee and settle any disputes that arise as a result of the rebuilding of the city after the fire.  With so many buildings damaged or destroyed, Parliament is eager to rebuild as soon as possible, and the Fire Court is charged with helping that along by settling legal disputes about leases, land boundaries and other matters pertaining to property ownership.  With greed and corruption snaking through the business of the court, the stakes are high for many – and for some, are high enough to commit murder.

Seven months after the events of the previous book, James Marwood is comfortably settled and is prospering financially in his posts as clerk to Joseph Williamson (Under-Secretary of State to Lord Arlington) and clerk to the Board of Red Cloth, a department attached closely to the king’s household.  He is still caring for his elderly, mentally unstable father, but early in the story, Mr. Marwood senior dies in an accident leaving his son with little other than some confused ramblings about his mother, the rookeries and a woman decked out like a cheap whore in a yellow dress.

Cat Lovett, who ran from her well-to-do family in order to avoid marriage to her smarmy cousin (who raped her) is still in hiding and has adopted the name and persona of Jane Hakesby, cousin and servant to Simon Hakesby, a well-respected architect.  Cat is a talented draughtsman herself, although as a woman, the profession is barred to her, but Hakesby – who is not in the best of health – allows her to assist him on occasion and to make her own designs under his auspices.  At the beginning of the novel, she is attending the proceedings of the Fire Court, partly to take notes (and to practice her newly learned shorthand) and partly to attend her master, who is there to watch out for the interests of one of that day’s petitioners.

Marwood and Cat have not encountered each other in the intervening months and don’t expect to do so, as they move in very different circles.  But they are drawn together again after Williamson instructs Marwood to accompany him to view the body of a woman found dead in the ruins of what seems to have been the cellar of a house.  The woman’s garish clothing suggests she may have been a whore, but that isn’t the case; she’s identified as a wealthy widow, which explains the government’s interest in the woman’s fate.  Charged with finding out as much as he can about the murder, Marwood is suddenly reminded of his late father’s last ramblings – which it seems may not have been ramblings at all.  But while Williamson wants answers, Chiffinch, Keeper of the King’s Private Closet (and Marwood’s other employer) wants things left alone; but Marwood is already too involved to stop looking for answers – which come at a very high personal cost.

As in the previous book, Marwood’s portions of the tale are told in the first person, while Cat’s are in the third, and I had no problems whatsoever with the juxtaposition of styles.  We find out a little more about both characters here, as they do about each other; in The Ashes of London, they encountered each other only briefly although their stories intersected frequently, and in the dramatic climax of the story, Marwood saved Cat’s life. It’s this that prompts her to go against Hakesby’s wishes when Marwood asks for her help, and leads to her being drawn into intrigue and danger as she, too, becomes involved in the investigation into the murder.

My one criticism about The Ashes of London was that I didn’t quite feel as though I got to know either Cat or Marwood, but here, they’re starting to feel more fleshed out.  Marwood is a pleasant young man who just wants to live a comfortable, quiet life as he tries to live down his father’s reputation as a radical and former Fifth Monarchist. I sympathised with his conflicting feelings for his difficult, sometimes demanding father,  and with the dilemma of his divided loyalties and the need to make a choice between his two employers.  Cat continues to be prickly and defensive, but her position is a precarious one; she cannot risk being found by her family or she will be forced into an unwanted marriage.  She’s observant and sharp-tongued, brave and loyal, and I was pleased to see the slowly developing trust between her and Marwood.

Although I found the book a little slow to start, I was hooked within a few short chapters and eager to see where things were going.   Mr. Taylor’s research is impeccable and has clearly been extensive; his descriptions of post-Fire London are incredibly evocative, and he paints a wonderfully vivid picture of a city in a state of flux, where poverty is rife and life is a daily struggle for many.  It’s not essential to have read The Ashes of London in order to enjoy and understand this novel, although I’d recommend it in order to gain a fuller appreciation of the historical context and of the evolution of the relationship between Cat and Marwood.  The Fire Court is a complex, absorbing read, full of political and legal intrigue, high-stakes situations for our two protagonists, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fans of intricate, well-written historical mysteries will find much to enjoy, and I’m eager to see what’s in store for Marwood and Lovett in the next book in the series.

 

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

This title may be purchased from Amazon.

When newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband’s crumbling country estate, The Bridge, what greets her is far from the life of wealth and privilege she was expecting . . .

When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But with her husband dead just weeks after their marriage, her new servants resentful, and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. Inside her new home lies a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figure–a silent companion–that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself. The residents of The Bridge are terrified of the figure, but Elsie tries to shrug this off as simple superstition–that is, until she notices the figure’s eyes following her.

A Victorian ghost story that evokes a most unsettling kind of fear, this is a tale that creeps its way through the consciousness in ways you least expect–much like the silent companions themselves.

Rating: A-

Laura Purcell is the author of two excellent pieces of historical fiction set in Georgian England, one, Queen of Bedlam, about Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, and the other, Mistress of the Court, a fictionalised account of the life of Henrietta Howard, who became the mistress of Prince George (later King George II).   Both are excellent and eminently readable; they’re incredibly well-researched, well-written and informative without being dry.  Her latest novel, The Silent Companions, is thus a bit of a departure, a mystery/horror story in the gothic tradition that is hauntingly atmospheric and downright unsettling; if it had been a film, I suspect I’d have been watching at least part of it from behind the sofa!

When we first meet Elsie Bainbridge, she’s a patient at St. Joseph’s Hospital for the Insane, and is widely believed to be a murderess.  Having been badly burned in a fire at The Bridge, the old country house she had inherited from her late husband, Rupert, she is still recovering from her injuries, and is unable to speak or remember much of what happened.  Her new doctor, Dr. Shepherd, is young, sympathetic and more progressive than some of the others who have attended her, and he encourages her to tell her story by writing it all down.  He believes that her inability to speak or remember may be the result of suppressed trauma, and that if she can tell her story in a detached way, as if speaking of someone else, it may help him to understand her better and ultimately, find ways to help her.

So Elsie, who is exhausted, worn-down and wants nothing more than to escape from the pain and awfulness of her life into laudanum induced numbness, begins to write her story, which opens in 1865, shortly after the death of the husband.  She married Rupert Bainbridge partly in order to help her brother’s struggling match factory, but found happiness in her short-lived marriage of convenience, and is now expecting Rupert’s child.  Having received news of her husband’s death, Elsie is travelling to Rupert’s family home, The Bridge, accompanied by Sarah, a poor relation of Rupert’s who came to live with them following the death of the elderly lady to whom she was a paid companion. Truth to tell, Elsie doesn’t think that much of Sarah and finds her insipid, but they are drawn together as the story progresses and the pair eventually come to depend upon and trust one another.

As they travel through the nearest village of Fayford, Elsie can practically feel the hostility coming from its inhabitants, who are, she learns later, so fearful of The Bridge – believing it was once inhabited by a witch, and that its history is littered with strange accidents and unexplained deaths –  that none of them will set foot in the place.  The few servants who work there are not locals, and are very disgruntled at the appearance of a new mistress because, Elsie suspects, it means the end of the easy life they’ve enjoyed up until now.

Exploring the house with Sarah, Elsie finds some unusual objects in the attic, several life-sized figures painted on wood and cut to shape with bevelled edges to give the impression of depth. Known as Silent Companions (or dummy boards), Elsie is initially amused by them and has a few of them moved into the house, but when they start to appear in places other than where they have been put, and more than were originally brought down are found in various locations throughout the house, both Elsie and Sarah become convinced that they represent something sinister and eventually to believe that their lives may be in danger.

The other part of the story is told through the pages of the diary of Sarah’s ancestor, Anne Bainbridge, who lived during the time of King Charles I.  Anne and her husband are to be honoured by a visit from the king and queen, and Anne is shopping in the village when she notices some unusual items in one of the shops – large, cut out figures that look very lifelike and which she purchases in order to provide a whimsical diversion during the planned royal visit.  Josiah and Anne Bainbridge have a good marriage, three strapping sons and a young daughter, Hetta, who was born mute – but it quickly emerges that Anne is haunted by the circumstances under which Hetta was conceived.  Having lost her beloved sister and best friend, Mary, over a decade earlier, Anne was so desperate to have another female in her life, someone to trust and confide in, that she drank a special tisane or potion in order to make sure she conceived a girl.  But now, Anne is haunted by her actions – which could bring an accusation of witchcraft – and her husband takes care to distance himself from Hetta, expressly excluding her from the events that will take place during the king and queen’s visit.

Ms. Purcell does a terrific job of balancing the telling of the story through both timelines, and the way she shows Elsie disintegrating before our eyes is uncomfortable and masterful all at once.   She keeps us constantly on our toes, making us doubt our narrators, playing with our perceptions and questioning whether those things we have just discovered or been told are real or imagined.  If I have a criticism, it’s that the story is perhaps a little slow to start, but once it really gets going it quickly becomes gripping and completely un-putdownable – and even now, hours after finishing it, I’m still getting that feeling of breathless chills as I think back to it.  The story is permeated by feelings of unease and foreboding, and the author really knows how to ramp up the tension; the latter part of the story is a rollercoaster ride of creepiness of all kinds – and I’ll say here that there are a few descriptions that don’t spare any of the gory details and aren’t for the faint-hearted.  But without question, the book is beautifully written and the descriptions of the depressing atmosphere inside the run-down house and the dreariness of the surrounding countryside are incredibly evocative and put the reader right in the middle of those dark, oppressive corridors and damp, mist-shrouded fields; this is no idyllic English village or beautifully kept beloved family home.

We’re left with as many questions as answers by the time the story closes, and the ending is a real kicker – utterly brilliant and something I most definitely didn’t see coming.  If you need explanations and closure in your books, then you might find the final ambiguity here a little frustrating, but honestly, the last lines fit the tone of the rest of the book so perfectly, I can’t imagine it ending any other way.

If you’ve been looking for a heartily unnerving, chilling gothic ghost story, then look no further.  Just make sure you read The Silent Companions with the lights on.

The Marigold Chain by Stella Riley (audiobook) – Narrated by Alex Wyndham

This title may be downloaded from Audible via Amazon

England, 1666; the year all the prophecies said the world would end. For Chloe Hervaux, marriage to wild, unpredictable Alex Deveril offers escape from a home she hates. For Alex, waking up with an epic hangover, the discovery that he has acquired a bride is an unwelcome shock. But while the marriage remains in name only, other forces are gathering.

England is at war with the Dutch, and Prince Rupert suspects that sabotage is at work in the fleet. Instructed to find and stop the traitor, Alex enters a dark, secret labyrinth of intrigue – where no life is safe and nothing is what it seems.

Chloe, meanwhile, navigates the shark-infested waters of Charles 11’s licentious Court and plots a course of her own aimed at financial independence. But as the diverse facets of Mr. Deveril’s personality are gradually revealed, her mock-marriage becomes fraught with difficulties – the greatest of which is Mr. Deveril himself.

Absorbed in his search for a traitor, Alex spares little thought for personal matters and less for his bride. But as the flames of the Great Fire sweep over London, he and Chloe face their ultimate test. Their world is at risk…their choices may save it.

The Marigold Chain is a richly-woven tale of intrigue, danger, and love set against a backdrop of Restoration England during the year expected to be Doomsday.

Rating: Narration – A: Content – A

The Marigold Chain is one of Stella Riley’s earliest published works, and, as it’s a long-time favourite of mine, I’ve been waiting not-at-all patiently for it to make an appearance in audiobook format. I first read it in the mid-1980s and loved it; for me, it ticks all the boxes. A brilliant, gorgeous, sharp-tongued hero enters into a marriage of convenience with a practical, quick-witted heroine who doesn’t take any of his crap; set that against the backdrop of the politics and intrigue-laden Restoration court of Charles II, and you’ve got another winner from a writer who really knows how to put the historical into historical romance while at the same time creating a tender, sensual love story. With the exceptionally talented Alex Wyndham once more at the microphone, there’s no question The Marigold Chain is a fabulous audio experience – so just sink into your favourite chair, lock the door, take the phone off the hook and let the world look after itself for a few hours while you get stuck in!

You can read the rest of this review at AudioGals.

Highland Flame (Highland Weddings #4) by Mary Wine

This title may be purchased from Amazon

Laird Diocail Gordon has just inherited his uncle’s run down castle and rag-tag clan. He knows the sorry sight of the castle would send any woman running, but is determined to find a wife to help return his home to its former glory.

Widowed lady Jane Stanley is determined to return to England, even if she has to tromp through the Scottish Highlands on foot to get there. Her travels lead her straight into the midst of a troop of dangerous Highland warriors. The mysterious, brawny laird forbids his men to harm her, and the spark between them is immediate. The only way Diocail can keep her safe is to take her home with him, but will the miserable state of his clan douse her newly ignited Highland flame?

Rating: C-

One of my Goodreads friends commented on an update I made while reading this book and asked me: “Why do you carry on doing Scottish books to yourself?” I responded to the effect that, in my eternal optimism, I pick up a Scottish-set historical every so often in the hope that I’ll find a good one with a plotline that isn’t a repeat of 97% of the other books in the genre. While I’ll admit that Highland Flame doesn’t offer the standard boy-meets-girl-from-opposing-clan-and-has-to-tame-her plotline or stereotypical stubborn, growling laird and feisty, flame-haired curl-tosser, it nonetheless suffers from a weak plot and a heroine whose motivations don’t always make a great deal of sense.

Diocail Gordan, newly minted laird of the Gordon clan, has inherited a crumbling castle and a poorly disciplined household thanks to the previous laird (his uncle), a miser who never provided properly for those who were dependent upon him. Diocail’s second in command suggests Diocail needs to find a wife quickly, one who is high-born enough that she will have been trained in household management, most importantly the running of the kitchens so that everyone will have enough food. Given the state of the place, Diocail doubts he will be besieged by eligible maidens seeking to take on the task – and he’s right. But for now, it’s time to go abroad to collect the rents, and he’ll have to wait until that’s done to give due consideration to the prospect of matrimony.

Jane Stanley journeyed with her husband into Scotland and now finds herself a widow because he has been killed in a fight over non-payment of the gambling debts he ran up. The innkeeper has thrown her out in nothing but her shift, insisting on keeping the rest of her goods in part payment of his bill after Jane turns down his offer to allow her to work off his fees on her back. She has no alternative but to return to England and her stepmother’s house, even though the woman has no love for Jane and is not likely to receive her with open arms. Nonetheless, she sets off, with no real idea of which way to go, and dressed only in her shift.

I’ll say that again.  She is wearing a shift.  No shoes.  No petticoats. No warm clothing.  In the Scottish Highlands.  But okay, I’ll buy it, because I know that any minute, she’s going to fall in with the hero’s rent-collection party.  Which she does.  Except that it’s not any minute, it’s ALMOST A WEEK LATER.  Even in the height of summer the weather in the UK is incredibly unpredictable – we get rain, fog, wind and cold – and Scotland is colder than it is further south.  Yet Jane, who I am asked to believe is intelligent and resourceful has been wandering about in the Highlands dressed in a nothing but a nightie for a week, with no idea of where she is going.

*Insert eye-roll here*

Luckily for her, the men she stumbles across are decent sorts, and while her being English and their being Scottish is good enough reason for suspicion on both sides, she is fed and made warm.  The man in charge – whom she realises is a laird – says that she must travel with them back to his castle, ignoring her protests that she wants to go back to England and telling her that the last thing he needs on his land is a dead Englishwoman, as will undoubtedly be her fate if she keeps on as she is.

Jane is sensible of the kindness being shown her but also feels guilty as she cannot repay it.  The best thing she can do, she thinks, is to leave as soon as she can to relieve Diocail of the responsibility he has taken upon himself to protect her.  She takes the first opportunity afforded her to run – but her plan goes spectacularly wrong and she and Diocail end up having to get married.

I normally love forced-marriage plotlines, but this one… not so much.  There’s little chemistry between the characters, and Jane’s dithering got on my nerves.  She fancies the kilt off Diocail of course, but her experience of marriage was so horrible that she doesn’t ever want to do it again.  Ever.  So instead of being married to a hot Scot who clearly respects, admires and desires her, and can offer her a decent home, she’d much rather go back to live with her cold, stern cow of a stepmother.  Yeah, right.

Diocail is more strongly drawn and a far more sympathetic character than Jane.  He is determined to do his best by his dependents and to be a good laird, but he is also well aware that there are those who are not happy at his accession and would stick a knife in his back at the blink of an eye.  He’s got a lot on his plate, but also wants to do right by Jane, who has suggested they get an annulment so she can go back to England.  By this time, he wants her to stay; she’s already shown herself to be more than equal to the task of whipping the servants into shape and things are improving… but he also wants her for herself and he wants her to actually choose to be with him rather than just accept her fate, so he sets about wooing her (and indulging in a bit of naughtiness to show her what she’s missing!).

Speaking of naughtiness…  I really didn’t need to read about Jane’s throbbing clitoris so many times, and I had to roll my eyes at the scene in which Diocail’s inner circle discuss the fact that he’s not done the deed with his new wife yet. Not only do they know this, they know it because they heard the newlyweds bumping and grinding the night before but knew that Diocail didn’t “take his own pleasure”. Seriously?  They could tell from somewhere outside?  And then, they decide it’s up to them to “do something about it”.  When did they turn into the Highland version of the Seven Dwarves?

There’s a last minute attempt to introduce some tension in the story with an attempted coup, but it’s too little too late; and while the author includes a few passages that are clearly setting up the couple who will feature in the next book, I didn’t find them sufficiently engaging as to make me want to read it.  If all you want from a Highland romance is a braw, bonnie chap who looks good in a kilt, Highland Flame might work for you.  But if you also want a decent plot, strong characterisations and a heroine you can like and root for, I’d suggest you look elsewhere.